Moore, Oklahoma, May Be the Tornado Capital of America

The suburb of Oklahoma City (population 55,000) was hit Monday with its fifth massive tornado in just 15 years. Early images of Moore on Monday afternoon showed horrifying scenes: blocks of flattened homes and debris, demolished hospitals and elementary schools, and burning buildings. The twister was recorded as a F4 tornado, the second-highest intensity on the Fujita scale.

But longtime residents of Moore are no strangers to the destruction of a powerful tornado. The town weathered one of the strongest tornadoes ever recorded in 1999.

The May 3, 1999 twister lasted only an hour and 25 minutes, but was responsible for 41 deaths, 583 injures, and over $1 billion in damaged property. It was rated an F5, the most intense twister possible. It covered 61 miles in Moore and the surrounding towns before dissipating in Midwest City, Oklahoma. It destroyed over 8,000 homes, over 1,000 apartments, 260 businesses and several public buildings and churches